DE 10 2014 204 287 A1 discloses a method for operating a motor vehicle brake device which has at least one electronic parking brake with at least one actuator, wherein when a first switching signal is applied to a switching signal input the actuator is actuated in order to activate the parking brake. It is proposed that the switching signal input be enabled in a normal operating mode to apply any desired switching signals and be fixedly set, in a safety operating mode, to a second switching signal which is different from the first switching signal, with the result that the actuation of the actuator for activating the parking brake is prevented.